Assess Your Job Survival Skills

1. You are on the phone with an irate customer. They are very worked up and calling you names because you can’t solve their problem. How do you handle the call?

Tell them if they continue to speak to you in that manner you will have to hang up.

Obviously the first two options will only frustrate the customer further. Although there will be times when you will need to transfer your client to your manager, you should always try to take care of the customer yourself.

Explanation

Obviously the first two options will only frustrate the customer further. Although there will be times when you will need to transfer your client to your manager, you should always try to take care of the customer yourself.

2. 4. You get a promotion! Good for you. But now you have to try and manage former friends who think they can take advantage of you. How do you deal with this?

You should be there for your friends. You would expect the same treatment if the situation were reversed.

Open communication, and supportive friends is the key to successfully navigating this situation.

Explanation

Open communication, and supportive friends is the key to successfully navigating this situation.

3. A customer has identified a problem in your customer support department, and you have been assigned to resolve the problem. Your first order of business should be to:

Gather technical data to identify the problem.

Figure out who to blame.

Hold a press conference and re-label the problem as a “feature.”

Hold a meeting.

A meeting may be advisable but not until you know what to meet about. The spin is as a feature may be an outcome of the meeting, but first you should identify the problem. The blame option only works in military. (kidding, no blame)

Explanation

A meeting may be advisable but not until you know what to meet about. The spin is as a feature may be an outcome of the meeting, but first you should identify the problem. The blame option only works in military. (kidding, no blame)

4. 5. The new Director of Sales (a position you applied for) has been hired from the outside. He is not familiar with your company, your market and your coworkers. In your first meeting he seems very disorganized. You should...

Sit back and enjoy the show.

Heckle the new guy repeatedly. Extra points if you can make him/her end the meeting early.

Ask questions, participate, and help your new manager steer the course of the meeting.

Support the new guy. Not because you like him, but because it will not help you any to start a fight with someone your superiors has put in a position of authority over you. Either suck it up, or seek employement elsewhere.

Explanation

Support the new guy. Not because you like him, but because it will not help you any to start a fight with someone your superiors has put in a position of authority over you. Either suck it up, or seek employement elsewhere.

5. Your supervisor implies that it would be a lot easier for you to get promoted if you went on a date with her. You politely decline. However, for the next few weeks she keeps asking. What should you do?

Report it to her Manager, or the Human Resources Department.

Introduce her to another coworker she may be interested in.

Do it! Just get her off your back already. Make sure she does not have a good time.

This one seems like common sense. If it does not seem that way to you perhaps you should take our harrassment course.

Explanation

This one seems like common sense. If it does not seem that way to you perhaps you should take our harrassment course.

6. Your spouse makes you a delicious gourmet sandwich for lunch, you put it in the company fridge. At lunchtime, you realize it’s missing. How do you handle it?

You leave a note in the fridge to remind people to mind their manners.

From now on you clearly label your food. Name, and date.

The next day you make another that looks just as good, but you fill it with tobasco sauce.

You would think this would not be neccessary, but labeling your food will stop all but the most brazen of lunch thieves. You could bother HR with the problem, but should let them take care of it from there. If all else fails the tobasco sauce option is something that we legally cannot suggest.

Explanation

You would think this would not be neccessary, but labeling your food will stop all but the most brazen of lunch thieves. You could bother HR with the problem, but should let them take care of it from there. If all else fails the tobasco sauce option is something that we legally cannot suggest.

7. Your superior approaches you while you are surfing the internet during work hours. How do you recover?

Press the off button on your monitor.

Say, “how did I get here?” and press the back button on your browser.

Think quickly and tie it into something work related.

Distract attention away from your screen, and maintain eye contact through whatever means necessary.

None of the above.

You should not be surfing the internet during work hours. But if you are (and we all do sometimes), don't try to hide it. You've already been caught.

Explanation

You should not be surfing the internet during work hours. But if you are (and we all do sometimes), don't try to hide it. You've already been caught.

8. Oh-no! There was a car accident and you have been stuck in traffic for an hour. You are now 15 minutes late for a meeting! When you come in, your boss does not look pleased. What do you do?

After quietly sitting down, you need to catch up. Ask what is going on and jump in the conversation.

You are already interrupting the meeting by walking in late. Don't compound the problem by speaking unless the presenter asks you to. However, don't leave your boss hanging either. Soon as you can let her know what made you late.

Explanation

You are already interrupting the meeting by walking in late. Don't compound the problem by speaking unless the presenter asks you to. However, don't leave your boss hanging either. Soon as you can let her know what made you late.

9. When terminating an employee there are certain thing you should never say. Check all the things that you should never say in a termination interview.

Do you have any questions?

Is there anything you would like to say?

I am sorry.

Would you like fries with that?

All of the above

Do not apologize, it gives the impression that you feel like you are doing something wrong. It's really to late for them to say anything of value, and it's unlikely any answer to any question they could ask would be of value to them at this point. The fries comment is just crass.

Explanation

Do not apologize, it gives the impression that you feel like you are doing something wrong. It's really to late for them to say anything of value, and it's unlikely any answer to any question they could ask would be of value to them at this point. The fries comment is just crass.